Kuwait sentences two to death over spy links with Iran, Hezbollah

Kuwait has withdrawn its envoy from Iran after tensions between the Shia and Sunni regional powers escalated

Kuwait has withdrawn its envoy from Iran after tensions between the Shia and Sunni regional powers escalated.Reuters

A Kuwait court on Tuesday sentenced two men to death over espionage charges, said reports.

The duo was convicted of spying for Iran and the Hezbollah, besides plotting attacks in the Sunni-majority country and possessing weapons. One of the defendants is an Iranian, who was convicted in absentia, while the other is a Kuwaiti citizen.

Apart from the duo, the court tried 24 other suspects, who were Kuwaiti Shiites. One was sentenced to life in prison and 19 others were imprisoned for 5-15 years. Three of them were acquitted while one was slapped with a fine.

The development comes a couple of weeks after Saudi Arabia executed 47 men, including Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, which enraged Iran as well as the Shiite minority of the Sunni-led kingdom.

Tensions between the Shia and Sunni regional powers escalated after protesters stormed Riyadh's diplomatic installations in Tehran and Mashhad over Nimr's execution. Kuwait has withdrawn its envoy from Iran, and other Sunni-ruled countries followed the suit.